Bird's Nest Fern (epiphyte)

Description:

Asplenium australasicum, commonly known as "bird's nest fern" and "crow's nest fern", is an Australian native and belongs to the fern family Aspleniaceae. It is also an epiphyte, meaning that it grows upon another plant in the wild, usually settling non-parasitically in the branches of trees, or sometimes as a lithophyte, upon some other object such as a rock or building, etc. It derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain, and sometimes from debris accumulating around it or within its leaves. This species can also grow terrestrially in soil. It grows in an upright rosette of long and shiny leaves which have a prominent midrib under the fronds, giving them a keeled appearance. Asplenium is a well known genus of ferns, commonly known as "spleenworts". There are about 700 species worldwide with around 30 native to Australia.

Habitat:

Spotted on the Heritage Trail in a section of subtropical rainforest at Mt. Mathieson, Spicers Gap. This area is part of Main Range National Park, and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Native to eastern New South Wales and Queensland. This particular fern was growing on a large strangler fig (Ficus watkinsiana).

Notes:

AUG 26, 2015 (last photo - but my first encounter with this individual fern). This was a massive fern, and also one of the most tattered and gnarly specimens I'd ever seen! The torn leave are no doubt the result of storm damage. MAY13, 2018 (first three photos - three years late) show lots more foliage; not on the fern itself, but on the host and surrounding trees. The canopy was much denser!